


If My Heart Was A House You'd Be Home

by thecivilunrest



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Snapshots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2014-09-16
Packaged: 2018-02-17 14:56:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2313602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecivilunrest/pseuds/thecivilunrest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The decision was easy enough to make. This was Nora. If Nora went somewhere, then Ren went too. It was the way things had always been. The way things always would be. </p><p>Or, snapshots of Ren and Nora.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If My Heart Was A House You'd Be Home

**Author's Note:**

> Two things: 
> 
> 1) the first part of this fic wouldn't exist without Mori's headcanon about Nora _literally_ booping her way into Ren's life and 
> 
> 2) [this fanart](http://ceruly.tumblr.com/post/83724248630) was how I imagined them as little ones!

**(5)**

Ren had not wanted to go to school. The very thought of leaving home--with all its familiarity--frightened him. His mother had promised him that everything was going to be all right, that people went to school every day and were just fine. Better than fine, since they had friends and something to do every day. 

Somehow, his mother managed to make everything better. 

When they got to the door of his classroom, Ren’s mother slipped her hand out of his and bent down to his level so that she could look him in the eye. “Be brave, my darling boy,” she said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. 

Though the smell of her perfume lingered in the air, his mother was gone quickly, as if she had never been there at all. The teacher--Miss D, she called herself--took his mother’s place and brought him into the room where there were desks and children playing on the carpet. 

The kids were shrieking, running around with plastic airplanes or cars. A few were in the corner, dressing up in blazes or dresses or even crowns. 

All this noise was too much--his own house had been quiet, with him as the only child, and his parents often away on business. And none of the other kids were dressed like him either. They were in overalls or jeans while he was wearing what his mother called “traditional clothing” and all of a sudden he felt out of place and even more scared than he had been that morning. 

His bottom lip began to tremble. His father told him that he shouldn’t cry, and he didn’t _want_ too, but he was overwhelmed and unhappy. Ren shut his eyes against the tears. He just wanted to go back home. 

Before he could work himself up, though, he felt a soft pressure on his nose. He opened his eyes to find a girl, a little taller than him, looking at him. “Boop!” she said, smiling. 

At her smile, Ren felt his tears evaporate. “Boop?” he asked, once he could speak.

“Yeah! My mama says that when you want to cry, you should think about something else! So I booped you, because that always makes _me_ feel better. And anyways, you shouldn’t cry. We’re in kindergarten now, you know! No more baby stuff!” Before Ren could respond, she barreled on. “Hey, you should come play with me. I’m building blocks, and I want to make a tower taller than me. Wanna help?” 

Ren nodded, and took the hand that she extended to him. 

“I’m Nora,” she told him once they sat down in the corner where the blocks were. 

“My name's Lie Ren,” he said, even though she hadn’t asked. 

Nora grinned, and at her grin he felt like the sun had just warmed him all up. 

He had no way of knowing that this was the beginning of everything. 

 

 **(10)**

Nora knew that she was what her mama called “too much.” 

She was loud and got over excited easily, and bouncing came just as easily to her as walking. It’s just, Nora didn’t understand how there can be any other way to be, how people weren’t constantly bursting at the seams with how wonderful things were. 

Being “too much” sometimes meant that there were people out there who found her exhausting and annoying; she’d heard them say so themselves, whispering as she passed like she couldn’t hear them. Nora hated being called annoying; the word felt like an arrow, every single time it was directed towards her. 

At least Ren never called her annoying, or acted like she was. He always listened to what she had to say, all of it. She knew, because a lot of the time he would respond where other people’s eyes would be glazed over. As long as Nora had Ren, she didn’t mind too much. 

That didn’t mean that there weren’t people that were mean to her.

There were two boys that started to bug her on her way home She tried not to let Ren know about it--what if he decided that he agreed with the bullies? Or worse, what if he joined them? That thought had recently began to haunt her, even though he’d been friends since kindergarten--telling him that he couldn’t come over after school and disappearing immediately so that he wouldn’t find out. 

She should have known that he’d find something suspicious with that. Nora wasn’t good at lying on a good day. Lying to Ren was next to impossible--he’d found out his birthday present before his party every year without fail thanks to this. She should have realized that Ren knew something was up, but she still told him “Bye, seeyalater,” and rushed off and hoped that he wouldn’t follow her. 

The bullies were at the same place that they waited every day, the end of the road right by the school. “Look, she’s all alone _again_. Guess that’s because no one wants to be her friend, since she’s so annoying and all,” the tallest one said loudly, while the other two leered behind him. Nora had to take a deep breath to steady herself, before looking him straight in the eye. 

Before she could respond, though, a voice came up behind her. “Nora’s not alone, she’s got me. And she’s not annoying.” 

Nora whirled around to find Ren, frowning behind her. He crossed his arms over his chest, as if that would help. They were both short for their age, nothing compared to the older kids that were standing there. Still, Nora felt like if Ren was with her, she could relax. 

“Oh ho ho, look what we’ve got here.” One of the bullies stepped up. “What makes you think anything you say matters, shrimp?” 

“Nora,” Ren turned to look at her, “run.” Then he pushed down one of the bullies, making him crash into another one. 

“You’re gonna pay for that,” the tallest one said, running towards Ren. Nora threw herself in front of him and _shoved_. 

Her mama always said that Valkyries had more strength than was good for them. Nora had never felt that before today, when she made the bully fall all the way down into the road. She grabbed Ren’s hand before the bullies could get back up. 

“C’mon, let’s go!” she said, and pulled Ren along behind her. 

By the time they got to Nora’s house two blocks away, they were both breathing hard, bent over. “Nora, you’re really strong,” Ren said, looking at her with awe. He was right, she _was_ strong. Stronger than was natural. 

She’d heard the stories about how some people had “powers”--this wasn’t the right word, but it was the closest that Nora could understand--but she’d never thought that she’d have one herself. There had been no huntresses in her family before, so no one had been expecting this. 

Maybe, she had the potential. The thought made her feel warm inside. 

“Yeah,” she said, before collapsing to the grass and sprawling out. Beside her, Ren did the same. “Thanks for helping me.” 

“You should’ve just told me,” Ren said. “I would’ve helped you. I’ll _always_ help you.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “You’re my best friend.” 

“Yeah,” Nora repeated. Suddenly all her fears about Ren thinking she was annoying, or joining the bullies, melted away. “I know. And you’re mine.” 

 

 **(15)**

Nora was more thoughtful than most people gave her credit for. Ren knew that most people assumed that because Nora was loud, she didn’t think, but he knew that wasn’t true. She might not have looked before she lept sometimes, but she _thought_ , even if it was only after the fact. 

She just wasn’t quiet with her thoughts, instead babbling them out loud without a care in the world. If they were more private Nora would always tell him, later. 

But lately, Nora was being quiet. 

Ren didn’t want to push her, but eventually he found himself asking. “Nora, what’s up?” 

Nora shot up, her pencil poised over her homework like she hadn’t just been doodling in the margins. When she realized it was Ren speaking to her instead of her mother, she groaned put her head down on her desk. 

“What do you mean?” she asked. 

“You’ve been weird lately. Is something the matter?” 

Nora frowned, before shoving her chair back and looking at him. “I want to go to Beacon,” she said after a gap of silence. “I want to become a hunter, and hunt monsters, and save the world. It’s going to be really hard, though. And I might not have time for things other than training which is why-” here she paused, and looked down instead of directly at him. “Which is why I’ve been thinking about my options. I can’t just _leave_ , not my family and not-” she stopped. 

_And not you_ , Ren finished the thought for her. “If you go, then I want to go too.” 

The decision was easy enough to make. This was Nora. If Nora went somewhere, then Ren went too. It was the way things had always been. The way things always would be. 

She gasped. “You mean it?” she asked, and squealed when he nodded. Nora jumped up, just once, before wrapping her arms around him. The squeeze only lasted for a second, hardly any time at all, before she let go of him. 

Ren wished he knew how to ask her to hold onto him for longer, or better yet, how not to let him go at all. Lately her hugs didn’t seem to last long enough, but he had no idea how to ask her for more. 

“We’ll have to tell our parents,” Nora was saying, evidently not noticing Ren’s plight. “But we can start training tomorrow. Oh, this is going to be so much fun! Don’t you think?” she asked him, blinking. 

“Yeah, it’s going to be lots of fun.” And it would be, as long as she was there. 

**(20)**

Nora hated stealth missions. 

She understood why they were necessary, of course. Too many people trying to hide themselves underground would draw too much attention, and Nora drew attention to herself just by breathing. Ren, Jaune, Pyrrha or her other team members couldn’t come with her all the time. There were some things that she had to do herself. 

Still though, she hated being alone. 

So it was a sigh that she entered her empty apartment. Ren had been gone on a mission as well, so she expected the air to be stale and for everything to be covered in a thin layer of dust. 

That wasn’t the case at all, and so Nora was instantly on her guard. She saw movement coming from the living room and clenched her fist-

Only to find Ren standing in front of her. “Ren!” she cried, running and jumping into his arms. He caught her easily, his hands supporting her butt and thighs. She reached up and grabbed his face, kissing it all over. 

“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” she said, looping her arms around his neck. He smiled down at her, and her heart swelled three times its normal size. She loved him _so much_. 

“My mission ended sooner than expected, so they sent me home.” 

“I’m so glad!” She reached up to kiss him again, this time making sure their mouths met, before pulling away and scrambling out of his grip. “You know what we should do first?” Nora asked. 

Ren just continued to smile. “What?” he asked. 

“Order pizza!” 

“Order...” He shook his head, too used to Nora and her ideas. “Hawaiian style this time?” he asked instead of saying anything. 

“Only because I love you!” Nora answered, calling the pizza place. It had the third place in her speed dial, second only to Ren. 

“Now,” said when she was done, the pizza and breadsticks ordered and on their way. “What should we do before then?”

Ren’s answering grin was how Nora knew that she was really home.


End file.
